Who hasn’t used one?
I mean they’re cool because it can hide your IP and Location, but how sh*t can it be when you get flagged down by any algorithm for using a Proxy / VPN, and you’re forced down to use your own legit network?

In regard to my activities and this particular issue, I think I have only tried doo-dooh providers (like NordVPN), which, obviously, everyone must be using. And my assumption right here is that these providers have been spammed so hard that if you try, for example, to create an account on Instagram, you get insta-banned.

Now I won’t get into details of what I’m trying to achieve, but the above example is highly suggestive.
I’d also like to point out that I don’t have much knowledge in proxies and vpn-s, so I need to ask you:

What’s the most realistic and sophisticated way to mask IP and GEO, while not looking shady to a platform like Instagram?